1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a tool for mounting and removing anti-skid chains or the like on vehicle wheels having elastic tires, the chain having attachment elements for attachment of the chain to the wheel rim, the tool acting on the principle of a lever and having a first arm portion extending from a seizing or gripping portion adapted to be seized by the hand, to an engagement portion adapted to engage with coacting mounting means of the chain and a second arm portion extending from the engagement portion to a resting or abutment portion adapted to bear against a radially inwardly facing surface of the rim in such a way that the tool in its operating position, i.e. when the engagement portion is connected to the mounting means and the resting portion is resting against the rim, may be swung for tensioning or loosening of the chain with the resting portion as the fulcrum.
The invention also relates to a mounting means for anti-skidding chains or the like for vehicle wheels having elastic tires, the chains being provided with attachment elements for attachment of the chain to the wheel rim by means of a tool of the above-mentioned type; and the mounting means being adapted to engagement with the engagement portion of the tool.
Finally the invention relates to a ring device for use in connection with vehicle wheels having elastic tires, and rim flanges upon which the beads of a tire rest in the transverse direction extending, the rim flanges away from the central ring plane of the wheel, and the ring device being adapted to cooperate with attachment elements of anti-skid chains or the like having a mounting means of the above-mentioned type, which may be mounted by means of a tool of the above mentioned type, the ring device comprising a ring which is adapted to bear against and to be attached to the side of these flanges facing the axis of the wheel, and mutually opposing sides of the ring and the flange being conformingly shaped.
2. Description of Prior Art
In DE-PS 685 232 there is described a tool of the above mentioned type, having two articulatedly interconnected arms, the first arm being used for tensioning of the chain, the second arm at the same time being used for bringing hook devices of the chain into engagement with the tire of the wheel.
The tool is complicated, and as each hand is used for different operations, the use of the tool is difficult. Due to the fact that the second arm cannot be used for removal of the hook device, removal must be carried out by seizing of the hook device by hand, which may be hazardous.
In use the tool extends essentially laterally away from the wheel. Mounting of chains on vehicles whose wheels are embedded in for example deep snow is thus cumbersome, in that both the snow at the side of the wheels and at a relatively large distance therefrom must be removed in order to provide access for the operation the tool. If the vehicle should be close to for example a wall of a house or a rock, mounting of the chain may be impossible.
Also in U.S. Pat. No. 2,074,534 it is shown a tool which during use extends transversely away from the wheel, and whereby the tensioning of the chain must be carried out by using only one hand. The tensioned hook device of the chain must be seized by the other hand in order to force the hook device into engagent with the wheel. The use of this tool is therefore probably more dangerous and cumbersome than the above-mentioned tool.
It is also known that chain hooks may be hooked onto a rim flange having a U-shaped cross section, i.e. rims whose free flange edge portion is extending radially inwardly towards the axis of the wheel. The mounting of the chain is carried out by initially laying the chain around the tire, whereupon a plurality of first hooks are attached to the inward flange, i.e. the flange that extends inwardly towards the plane of symmetry of the vehicle, whereafter a plurality of second hooks finally are hooked onto the outer flange.
For rims without such flange portion it is known that there may be provided rings being adapted to be attached to the rim and having a flange edge portion. From U.S. Pat. No. 2,998,835 and DE published print 1 931 159 it is known that rings may be adapted to be introduced into a cylindrical flange portion of the rim and to be fixedly held therein due to a mutual press fit.
Wheels of vehicles are however experiencing corrosion, especially automobile wheels used on roads where salt is used for melting of ice and snow, whereby such corrosion between the ring and the rim flange may cause deterioration of the press fit connection therebetween to a such degree that the ring and the chain may be disengaged from the wheel. There is further a risk that existing corrosion on the rim may make the use of such rings impossible if rings are to be mounted on used rims.
A precondition for a press fit connection is that the coacting parts must be produced with small tolerances which in turn entails high production costs. Rings of this type however cannot be mounted on funnel-shaped flanges.
DE published print 1 931 159 describes rings that may be attached by means of welding, screws or the like. The use of such, methods of attachment require highly qualified personel and rims being in advance exactly adapted to the rings for the mounting thereof.
From U.S. Pat. No. 3,095,919 it is known that U-shaped rings may be adapted to engagement with transversely extending chain cross links. The links have terminal loops and the rings have hooks that may be introduced into the loops. The rings are pressed into position or split and provided with latch devices, but again these rings cannot be mounted on funnel-shaped rim flanges.
From U.S. Pat. No. 2,241,592 it is known that a split ring may be introduced between the rim and the tire bead. The rim absorbs the total force which is exerted by the chain and receives little direct support from the rim, and so as not to be thrown out it has to be provided with a latch device. This makes the ring heavy and relatively complicated.
From U.S. Pat. No. 2,146,453 it is known that a ring may be held radially on the inside and at a distance from the flange by means of separate clips arranged between the rim and the tire. For the clips not to be thrown out, they must also extend between the tire bead and the cylindrical portion of the rim, which will cause air leakage for wheels provided with tubeless tires. Due to the fact that the ring is not bearing against the rim, it has to be strong in order to withstand the tensile force exerted by the clips without being distorted, and it thus becomes heavy.
From U.S. Pat. No. 2,598,594 it is known that separate hooks may be attached between the tire and the rim, similar to the clips shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,146,453.
From U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,664,133, 2,681,094 and 3,165,137 it is further known that small hooks may be adapted to atachment to the rim. Relatively large bending moments are however exerted against the hooks compared to the bending moments exerted against a ring, and there is a risk for the hooks to be pressed out of engagement with the rim.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,898,968 it is shown that separate holders may be attached to the rim or to separate clips which in turn are embedded between the tire and the rim. These holders are heavy and must be arranged very carefully in order not to unbalance the wheel. The shape of the holders and the clips is very complicated, and those holders being adapted to funnel shaped rim portions may be prone to be moved gradually outwardly and become detached from the rim, especially due to centrifugal force when the chain is not mounted.